Well, it's been a few years, so it's time to get back in the saddle again.

A lot has happened since my last writing. I had been married about 5 years in 2010, but we hadn't had any kids yet. Our first sone was born in September of 2010 and life has never been the same.

Being a Dad is maybe the best and hardest thing in the world. I never knew the amount of love that can flow from one human being to the next when you are a parent. I know everyone says that, but it is true. You just never really understood what is in you as a parent until you have a child.

And now 7 years later, I have 3 sons and another baby on the way. The JOY is all over the place! Ha ha, but it is also a lot of work. Nothing has challenged or benefited my marriage more than having children. My wife and I have to work as a team.

With three children, there is are all sorts of obstacles to face every day - probably none bigger than our finances. I've worked in various jobs over the past several years, some as an employee but mostly as self-employed. It gives me the flexibility I desire as as a husband and father, but there are certain challenges that come with it as well. You miss the teamwork that you can have in a corporate work environment when you are self employed.

That's why recently, I've been thinking about the future with my sons and possibly a new line of work. When I watch TV, I see all kinds of people flipping houses and making money. When I was in 8th grade, I built an entire home with my Dad and brothers, and we sold it for a profit. It was hard work, but I really enjoyed seeing the work of my hands right in front of me and having a beautiful finished product. I know it's not as easy as the TV shows make it out to be, but I am sure there is money to be made in real estate.

Beyond flipping, it seems there are plenty of other ways to make money in real estate. I saw this blog post on Tumblr the other day that was talking about the house flipping shows as well as real estate wholesaling. I find wholesaling to be an interesting strategy because really, you just need to be good at marketing. You need to find sellers and then market those properties to buyers. You are bring value to both because the seller wants to get rid of the house and an investor wants to make money. I'll have to check more into it.

No matter what, the vision always goes back to my kids. I want to make more money and be successful in business so that I can spend more time with them. I want to be able to take fun vacations. I want to be able to cover childcare and take my wife out on dates and not have to worry about the costs. I want to have a business where I can work with my sons and possibly pass down to them a stream of income and an asset of value.

These are the things you think about when you are a Dad. I wouldn't have it any other way.